Inception 2
by Padres Fan
Summary: UPDATED C3 9/1! A year after the events of the Fischer Job, Cobb has been living his dream come true with his children. It now comes crashing down when a mysterious man with ill intentions forces him to reform the team to do the impossible yet again.
1. To Become an Architect Again

Inception 2

Hello everyone. First off, I really like the movie Inception. The story, the characters, the soundtrack, and the atmosphere are kick ass. So in honor of that movie, I decided that I will go down the path of fanfiction and create a sequel for that movie, of course until Nolan announces a sequel, one can hope. I don't know if I will be updating this from time to time, depends on my schedule. As I type this up, I would definitely like input from you readers. Please criticize as much as you want if I'm off on something. Review always. Anyways enough babble, on to the story.

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_An idea. A single idea from the human mind can build cities. An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules._ _-Dominic Cobb_

Prologue: To Be an Architect Again

_The events in this chapter take place about six months after the events of Inception._

_Somewhere in the city of LA...  
_

"Mr. Cobb? Cobb, wake up!"

Dominic Cobb slowly opens his eyes to observe the condescending look of his boss, Mr. Barnes.

"I need those plans for that new office building in Tokyo by Monday, so why the hell are you sleeping in your office?" Cobb got a hold of his surroundings before he answers.

"I'm sorry Mr. Barnes; I've just been tired as of lately." Mr. Barnes's frown says it all.

"Cobb, it's one o'clock in the afternoon. I don't have time for people sleeping on the job, the Japanese are already on my ass for transferring the project to you. Since your short time here, you have been one of my better architects, but your fellow architects and I are always wondering about your sleeping habits and your late project submissions. Some of your plans are brilliant, but you are lazy and I can't have that."

Dom mentally tries to forget that his boss was there and he is at home with his children, Phillipa and James. He often wondered why he became an architect again. He sure didn't feel like one. Sure, he had done some projects here and there, but his heart wasn't in it.

_"Maybe it's just a thing that I felt like I needed to do."_

Barnes' voice crashes though his train of thought. "Cobb? Cobb! Goddamnit, there you go again!"

Sighing, Cobb turns back to Barnes to reply. "The plans are almost done; I just need to figure out the materials needed. You want to have a look or no?"

Cobb gestures at the sketch on his desk. Barnes moves over to Cobb's side and looks at them.

"Wow, I am impressed Mr. Cobb. As I have said before you are very talented. If you had more motivation, I have no doubt that you would be building entire cities." Cobb merely smiles at the statement.

"Thank you, Mr. Barnes."

Barnes nods at Cobb and turns to leave before he notices something. "Mr. Cobb?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Is that your children?"

Cobb turns to Barnes pointing at a picture frame of Phillipa and James. He smiles at the sight of his children. "They are."

"Ah, I see you have the doting father look there. And whose is this lovely woman?" Cobb's smile leaves him as he observes a picture of a beautiful woman that he loved so dearly that it almost destroyed him when she left him.

Cobb quickly recomposes himself and says, "My wife, Mal."

"I assume she is taking care of the children as we speak?"

"No. Her mother is."

"Oh, divorced?" Cobb looks up at Barnes.

"No, she's gone." Barnes quickly realizes he may have stepped too far.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Cobb. Truly, I am. I tell you what, Cobb. Go home and be with your children. I guess I have dogged you with projects that leave you way up at night here at the offices. I can close up tonight." Cobb feels elated at that statement but always the man who keeps to himself, he simply smiles.

"I would greatly appreciate that, Mr. Barnes."

* * *

_On some highway..._

Driving home, Cobb thought about one statement that his boss said.

_"If you had more motivation, I have no doubt that you would be building entire cities."_

One point of his life, he did. Just not in the real world of course. The real world had limits. In dreams, entire cities and buildings that defied physics were created by him…and Mal. Cobb shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he observed the exit from the highway that would lead him home. To his children.

* * *

Cobb's Residence

"Daddy!"

That shout of jubilation always made Cobb smile so wide that it almost hurt. Even after six months, he has not grown weary of the joyful faces that always greet him. How could he? It's what kept him moving every day. James, the more inquisitive of the two, looked up at his father.

"You're home early today!"

Cobb could not resist picking up James, causing James to scream with joy.

"That's right and you what that means?"

The two look at him with grins on their faces.

"ICE CREAM TIME!"

It was always a tradition whenever Cobb came home early.

"Get in the car, you guys, I need to grab some money for the ice cream."

"Yeah!" Phillipa and James raced off to the car.

Cobb continued to smile as they ran off. Turning to the task at hand, he moved to the kitchen. 

_"Where is that wallet?"_ Suddenly, a glint of silver caught his eye.

On the dining table, laid his totem, Mal's top. It was his totem to let him know whether he was dreaming or not. He had not seen in almost six months. That first week when he had arrived home, he had forgotten that he had even had it. It was only James stepping on it that he remembered that he was suppose to test if this was all real or not. At first, he was fearful. He didn't want this to end. But then he thought of Ariadne's statement to him while they were in Limbo. _"Don't lose yourself!"_And so, Cobb let the top spin, pleading it to stop. And it did. That night, Cobb put it in a cupboard, never to be seen again. For six months, he didn't about that life that he had left behind. Now, the top reminds him of that life again.

_"I used to build entire cities with Mal."_ Cobb closed his eyes, thinking of that beautiful face. The smile that she would give him whenever he whispered sweet nothings to her. The love and devotion that was shown in her eyes. He misses her dearly. It didn't help that his idea got her killed. It made him feel guilty. That guilt almost made his mission a failure a year ago. But his children were more important than him living in the past and become filled with loneliness and regret. So he moved on and he succeeded. But just because he moved on didn't mean he forgot her. His children always reminded him of her. This top made him remember her. Slowly, he picks it up. So simplistic, yet elegant at the same time. Her idea, of course. He lets out a deep sigh before putting the top in his pocket.

Finally successful in finding his wallet, he pulls out the top and puts it on the dashboard of the car. James suddenly pops his head from behind his seat.

"My top!"

Cobb turns to him.

"It's yours?" Phillipa rolls her eyes.

"No, dad, he found it in one of the kitchen cupboards."

James frowned, "No daddy, Phillipa lying! I found it, so it's mine!"

"No, it's not James!"

Cobb lets out a chuckle before speaking to the young boy, "Well, James, I would like to believe you but your sister is right. It isn't yours."

The look on James' face was priceless. He opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out. 

_"Already picking up my bad habit of lying. Like father, like son, I suppose."_ Smiling, he shows the top to James.

"This top is your mother's."

James' eyes light up. "Really?"

Cobb nods.

"We will ever see her again, daddy?"

Cobb lightly smiles. "Maybe one day, but until then..,"

Cobb gives the top to James, "Keep this to always remind you of her."

James doesn't respond as he stares deeply at the top.

"Let's go get some ice cream, huh?"

"Yeah!"

* * *

_That night..._

Cobb opens his eyes. He is on a beach. The waves are lapping at his shoes as he stands by the shoreline. It is almost similar to the beaches of Limbo but he knows it's his dream. Walking away from the shoreline, he looks out at the great beyond before him. This was what Limbo was like when he and Mal had first arrived in Limbo. But again, this wasn't Limbo, it was his dream. He kneels to feel the sand beneath his feet. The same sand he and Mal used to create with. Tears begin to fall from his face. Rain begins to fall in his dreamworld. He can't help it; the world is tied with his emotions. Suddenly, he rises to his feet. As the rain continued to fall, Cobb looked out again at the beyond.

_"How I am here dreaming this? I shouldn't be dreaming."_ Cobb inquired.

Before, he had to use the machine to dream. It was the only way he could dream. And yet, he was there. Truth be told, he has tried not to dream for fear of Mal's projection. It is the main reason why he is found taking naps so much. Too long and a dream might arise. Now that he is dreaming this, he is shocked.

_"I have moved on." _He breathes out a sigh of relief.

_"So what now?" _He thinks about Mal making things with the sand.

_"If she were here, she would want to create."_

He looks down at the sand again. He is amazed to find that he is staring at asphalt. He looks up again; buildings are starting to rise out of the ground right before his eyes.

"_She may be gone but that doesn't mean she would want me to stop creating the impossible." _Dominic Cobb smiles. As buildings continue to rise out of the ground, he walks to the building that was rising before him right now; it was a majestic building, made entirely of glass, it shone like a jewel in the dreamworld's sun. 

_"This is where it will begin," _Cobb muses as it continues to rise. The building finished, Cobb quickly enters it. In the middle of the lobby, a plaque appears before him. In the plaque hold that same picture of Mal he has always held on to.

Cobb puts his hand on the plaque.

"For her."

Removing his hand from the plaque, he moves to a newly created elevator that will take him to the top office of this glass building. There is much still much work to be done here. It takes a moment, but it finally hits Cobb. He is truly the Architect again.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. It could be a one-shot if I have to but I have ideas for a great action adventure story. Review please. Need input!


	2. The City

Hello again, true believers. I have been stumped on what to do with the story, but it is now all panning out. After that prologue that felt more like a one-shot, the story is beginning to take shape. Hope you guys enjoy the ride.

Again, I do not own Inception.

* * *

"_You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?'__"-_ _George Bernard Shaw_

A year after the events of Inception…

Chapter 1: The City

The city buzzed with life. Planes fly with banners behind them, showing advertisements for products. Birds fly overhead, heading north for the season. Sirens wail in the distance, off to answer some unknown emergency. In the streets, cars stuck in traffic honk angrily at each other. People move through the streets with purpose like ants. Some are shopping, hoping to get good deals. In a nearby pub, good friends laugh as they merrily drink. A couple with their young daughter is having a picnic at the park. A cop is currently forgetting his duty as he eats his favorite donuts. As the sun beats down on the inhabitants of the city, it seems like it will be another usual day for all of them. But see, something is wrong in this picture.

Observe all of the buildings and you will notice that one is out of the ordinary. A building made entirely of glass, shining in the brilliant sun. It seems impossible that it should be standing but there it is. At the top of the building, holds an office with a man, looking down at the sights below. He grins. It is perfect in every way, the city.

_"And yet, none of it is real."_ Cobb muses. Looking around, he is impressed by the sight of his created world. Suddenly, something catches his eyes: An unfinished building. It had its foundation and its metal frame, but nothing else. He frowns at the blemish.

_"Odd…I've haven't seen that before."_ Curiosity getting the better of him, he moves to the elevator that will take him down to the building's ground level to investigate. Exiting out of the elevator, he walks past the lobby's main desk. a man sitting there looks up at Cobb.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Cobb, going out?"

_"I shouldn't even humor it; it's not like its real." _Letting the projection give him a dirty look, Cobb observes the plaque before him before he exits the building. It's the picture of his wife, Mal. He misses her. So much. Letting out a huge sigh, he turns and walks out of the door.

Now outside his office building, Cobb observes the streets. Usually, he would call for a taxi to take him wherever he needed to go, but the traffic looked to be jam-packed.

_"Guess I'm walking."_ Turning in the direction where the building was located, Cobb begins to let his mind wander as he walks to his location. He often would midway look at a building, observe and faults and then continue on. Often, he would also tweak his projections' personalities as well. Like Ariadne said long ago, it wasn't just about the architecture, but also the feel of the dream. It had to almost feel real.

Thinking about Ariadne's statement made Cobb's mind think about the team. It had been a year since Cobb had assembled a team to do what many considered impossible: Inception. Since then, he had not spoken to anyone. Then again, why would anyone want to talk to Cobb? In retrospect, Cobb realized that he had been an entire asshole since Mal died. He had left his children, became a thief, and resorted to the lowest of the low for one thing: Return to his children. To top it all off, his guilt had consumed him to a point where he had created entire memories out of dreams in order to keep Mal alive in his mind and heart. Unfortunately, the projection of Mal soon became hostile and missions became increasingly hazardous whenever she appeared. Cobb could have ended it then and there, but he couldn't. (But more like he wouldn't.) Arthur was always suspicious as to why Mal was appearing, but Cobb wouldn't tell him. He thought he could keep it under control. Keep her contained. That all changed when Saito offered him the job that could get him home.

Ariadne, Eames, and Yusef were recruited, albeit different reasons and motivations. While the mission was dangerous, none of the team suspected what was bubbling in Cobb's subconscious. Until Ariadne found out of course. A curious, soft-spoken, yet stubborn girl, Ariadne seemed to see right through Cobb and his lies and deflections, and had stumbled upon his dark secret. After the revelation, she gave him an option: take her on the mission or tell Arthur.

Naturally, Cobb chose Door Asshole yet again and dragged her along as well. His debauchery didn't stop there. But that's a story in itself. It's safe to say that Cobb simply couldn't have done it without Ariadne and the rest of the team. And what did he do when the mission was over? He just got up and left. 

_"I didn't even say thank you."_

Sure, they were now all rich men (and woman), but to Cobb, they deserved more than that. He owes them his life and more. So he decided to do the next best thing without having to contact them: He keeps tabs on them by way of Saito, his former employer. As he continues to walk, Cobb decides to remember what all of the team was up to since the Fischer Job….

* * *

A bit of an abrupt ending to this chapter, but the next chapter is a bit as it will help readers catch up on what has been happening to the rest of the team. Please review!


	3. The Team

Hello, true believers, Padres Fan here. I am truly sorry for those who have been waiting for the next part of the story. College has started for me and I unfortunately have to juggle my schedule trying to work on this story. I am amazed by the number of hits that I'm having. It is what keeps me going on with this story. I also appreciate the helpful reviews here as well. Helps me become a better writer. Also, good news, I recently purchased the Inception Script in order to get me some ideas about dreams, characters, personalities and etc. so I'm hoping it benefits me as well. The next chapter is already being written up as we speak so if all goes well, I may update again by tomorrow! Anyways, on to the story.

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"_When we dream alone it is only a dream, but when many dream together it is the beginning of a new reality."-_ _Friedensreich Hundertwasse__r_

Chapter 2: The Team

_Flashback: Right after the Fischer Job…_

_LAX_

"What? That's it then?" Eames remarked as he and Arthur observed Cobb going through Customs and finally leaving with his father-in-law, Miles. "I don't believe this. We stuck out our necks for Cobb and what does he do? He simply leaves. Didn't even have the common decency to say thank you. I bet he still thinks he's dreaming or something."

Arthur frowned at Eames' statement. "Save it, Eames. We had agreed from the beginning that we weren't supposed to be with him anyways in order not to arouse suspicion. Besides, can't you see that he wants to see his children?"

Eames turned to Arthur with a look of fake joy etched on his face, "Well, isn't that adorable, darling? The brave father who lies and steals his way back into America to be with his beloved children. That's a winner there. If I remember, you were so overjoyed when Cobb had the decency to tell us that we all could have all ended up in Limbo until after we put under, hmm?" Eames slyly replied.

Arthur looks away from Eames, trying to tune out the Brit's complaints. He was not in a mood for clever debates with Eames. Looking throughout the crowd of incoming passengers, he tried to locate Yusef and Ariadne.

"What, Arthur, was it something I said…oh…I see." Eames snickers from behind. Arthur returns his focus to Eames.

"And what do you see, Eames?" Eames gave Arthur a smug look before replying.

"Looking for our mademoiselle, Ariadne, no?" Arthur simply stared hard at Eames.

"I really don't know what you're going off on, Eames." Eames scoffed at Arthur's statement.

"You may be as emotionless and cool as a statue to everyone else, but I can tell you have a certain fondness for our lovely architect." Arthur remained tight-lipped, the frown getting even deeper on his brow. Eames continued to leave the smug look on his face.

"Case in point, darling. You know what? You should take her on a date. It might help your self-esteem." At this point, Arthur was particularly feeling ill towards the Brit and if it wasn't for Yusef and Ariadne finally arriving, Eames would not have made it out of LAX alive.

"We will discuss later, Eames." Arthur muttered angrily before turning to Yusef and Ariadne.

"Where's Cobb?" Ariadne asked as the team greeted each other again.

"He's gone, same with Saito." Eames replied.

"What, just like that?" Yusef spoke, almost shouting out. Arthur sighs before replying.

"I see that Eames isn't the only one who is disgruntled by today's events." He turns to Ariadne, expecting a similar response as well. "Are you going to bad mouth Cobb as well?"

Ariadne looked at Arthur. "No. I'm not that kind of person to gossip behind someone's back, regardless of the events that happened. And besides, we knew there would be risks…"

"Including Cobb's wife shooting Fischer?" Eames politely interrupted. Ariadne gave Eames a stern look before continuing.

"Drop it, Eames." Ariadne spoke with a tone that literally told Eames to shut it. Arthur raised his eyebrows at the scene before him.

"_Why is she defending Cobb? She has no reason to."_ He made a mental note to ask her about that later.

As the rest of the team chatted amongst each other, Yusef looked around the airport terminal nervously, looking to see if anyone was watching them. Eames looked at Yusef incredulously.

"Relax Yusef, no one is watching us now that Cobb is gone. We are just good friends sharing good memories." Yusef laughed nervously.

"Yeah, if flipping the van over in the dream is a good memory." This statement made Arthur look at Yusef with a smirk. "So it was you. I was wondering what the hell was going on up there." Eames begins to chuckle.

"Who can blame him? He's Indian." At that moment, the rest of the team tried to register that Eames just made a blatant racist remark. Yusef glared at Eames, while Ariadne looked shocked. Arthur simply put his hand on his face.

"That was so uncalled for, Eames."

Eames kept on smiling. "Well, it seems I have overstayed my welcome here. I guess it's time to leave then. So, now where are all of you buggers heading off to now?"

Arthur is the first to answer, "I think I'll lay low here for awhile, and then I might start up a team again. You'll all welcome to join me."

Eames laughs, "I figured you would ask. While the offer is tempting, I think I will take time relaxing on a beautiful beach with some amazing girl by my side for now. Count me out for now. See you around, gentlemen and woman." With one final wave, Eames grabbed his bags and walks out of the terminal.

Arthur turns to Yusef, "What about you, Yusef?"

"I believe I will return home for now; there are still people in need of my assistance. I'm sorry, Arthur, but my travels in dreams ends here," Yusef smiles. ", but I have to admit, it was quite a ride. Goodbye."

Arthur turned to the last remaining team member: Ariadne. He gave her a small smile.

"Any plans, Ariadne?"

Ariadne shrugged before answering, "I really don't know. I just want to get to a hotel and rest. I still can't believe all of it: Cobb, Fischer, inception, dreams within dreams, Mal…"

Ariadne looked up at Arthur. Arthur searched deep into her eyes. There was something she wasn't telling him. So he decided to find out.

"Ariadne, Cobb was troubled the whole time we were in the dreams, but Mal never appeared in the two levels. Eames told me she killed Fischer in the third world. Before that, she harmed me yes, but never attempted to kill me. You were with him the most during the job. What was going on with Cobb?"

Ariadne grew quite at that. She turned away from him, contemplating if this was the right thing to do. She made her decision.

"Cobb wasn't alright, Arthur. He had been dreaming in order to keep the projection of Mal alive."

"What?"

"He said it was to remember when they were still together."

Arthur let out a sigh before speaking up again.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

At this point, Ariadne was looking at the ground, seemingly too ashamed to look at Arthur.

"I'm sorry, Arthur, but Cobb didn't want anyone else to know."

"So he forced you to go along with us to help him cope with it on the mission?"

"No, I offered to go with him."

Arthur looked at her with disbelief on his features. "What? Why?"

Ariadne thought about it for a moment.

"I was the only one who knew what he was struggling with, I had suggested to him to tell you, but he didn't listen."

"Which meant that Cobb didn't trust me, did he?"

Ariadne raised her head to look at Arthur.

"No, I don't think so."

"He had a good reason to."

Ariadne looked at him quizzically.

"Really?"

"I would have stopped the mission. A rogue projection could have destroyed everything we had worked for. Why did you go along with it?"

"Honestly, I didn't, Arthur. I didn't think Cobb would succeed with Mal tormenting him. I thought when he would finally face her, he would crumble."

"And when he faced Mal?"

"He admitted the truth to her."

"What truth?"

Ariadne bit her lip before replying, "You know what happened to her?"

Arthur's features softened. "Yes, she died because she had an idea that her world wasn't real and then committed suicide. Cobb told me this."

"That wasn't the truth, Arthur. The idea was Cobb's. He had performed inception on Mal."

"What? Why would he do something like that?"

"To save her. She had made herself believe Limbo was real."

"So Cobb had no choice but to perform inception on her."

Arthur looked at Ariadne with sorrowful eyes.

"Then, it is no wonder that Mal tortured his soul for so long, his idea killed her. His guilty subconscious probably created that projection of Mal, a cold, heartless shell of the real Mal." Arthur sighed.

"So she left after he told her, right?"

"No, she stabbed Cobb and I was forced to shoot her. I planned to shoot Cobb, but he stayed behind to save Saito."

Arthur causally looked out of the terminal's windows, observing the airplanes leaving and arriving.

"Still can't believe he made it through Limbo a second time."

Ariadne smiled lightly. "I had doubts at first, but when he told me that he needed to find Saito, I knew he could do it. He had lost his wife. I don't think he was ready to lose his children by losing himself. In a sense, they were his totem."

Arthur himself grinned at her statement as well. "And everyone lives happily. Amazing...Ariadne, why don't I buy you some lunch and I give you a tour of LA before we go off our separate ways? That sounds good?"

Ariadne smiled. "I would like that."

With that, they finally leave LAX, thinking about the world they left behind…for now.

* * *

_Flashback: Eight months after the Fischer Job…_

_Cobb's Residence_

Cobb was feeling good. For a man eight months ago teetering on the edge of oblivion, he has never felt better. Perhaps, it is because he with his children or it is because he is doing an honest job now or maybe, he is dreaming again.

"_All of the above."_ Cobb thinks as he watches his children play in the backyard. Phillipa whined again about how James put a worm down her dress. Ever the disciplining parent, Cobb made James apologize to Phillpa for that debacle. They have resumed their playtime, continuing to do shenanigans that Cobb will no doubt have to stop in time. He doesn't mind however.

Looking back at the newspaper, Cobb notes a particularly interesting article: **Proclus Global Boss Takes Indefinite Sabbatical**.

"_Saito…"_ Cobb let out a tired sigh. He knew Saito might have trouble readjusting to the real world again. Who could blame him? He had literally become an old man in Limbo. It is something that just doesn't go away. Cobb often wondered about the others, if they were affected in any way. He wished there was some way he could know how they were doing with bothering them. He had caused enough trouble. Admittedly, he had asked Miles to keep an eye on Ariadne, but Miles simply told him, "Why don't you call her yourself?" Of course, he refused to do so.

"_There must be some way…"_ With the thought on his mind, the home phone rang.

"I'll get it!" James piped up. He dashed to the phone. Unfortunately, Phillipa, being older, was slightly quicker than James to the phone and picked it up.

"Hello, who am I speaking to….Dad, some strange man is asking for you…he sounds funny."

"_God not another one of those "prank callers" or telemarketers…" _"Okay, I'm coming, sweetie."

Rising from his position in the dining room, Cobb moved over to the kitchen where Phillipa proudly presented the phone to him. He nodded with graditude.

"Thank you, Phillipa. You better go outside; I think your brother is causing another ruckus."

"Okay, daddy," Phillipa smiled sweetly before dashing outside.

Cobb put the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Cobb?" The voice was unmistakable. It was Saito.

"Saito?"

"Yes, Cobb, it is I."

"Can't say I'm glad to hear from you. How did you find me?"

"Remember Cobb, I bought an entire airline, do not think that finding someone is a difficult task for a man like me."

"What do want from me?"

"I ask nothing of you expect this…"

"Which is?"

"Are we still dreaming?"

Cobb instantly knew that Limbo had affected Saito deeply. The pain in his voice could easily be heard. Cobb turned to look at his children outside. They turned and waved at him. Waving back, he returned to the conversation.

"Saito, I do not think we are dreaming anymore. Besides, even if this was a dream, it doesn't matter anymore. I'm tired of telling what is reality or fiction. If my children are by my side, that's all what matters now."

For a moment, Saito did not answer. He was so quite at one point that Cobb thought he had hung up. Finally, Saito spoke.

"I grew as an old man, filled with regret and loneliness. It seems I cannot let it go now. But you, Cobb, experienced it and rose above it. You defeated the guilt and pain inside you and saved my life. For that, I am in your debt."

Cobb was taken aback by his statement. In all of his years, his clients never personally thanked him. It was a job, that's all. But Cobb knew it had been more than that. It had been a battle for his own heart, soul, and mind. Saito continued to speak, interrupting his thoughts.

"I am aware that Mr. Yusef took your whole share. I am not one for charities, but I will make an exception for you. Ask me anything that you desire and it is yours."

Cobb thought hard but in the end, it wasn't difficult.

"If you can, Saito, I would request that you have people keep an eye out for my team. I own them my life as well. I could not have done the job without them."

"Are you sure about this?"

Cobb didn't hesitate.

"Positive."

* * *

_Present_

_Inside Cobb's dream…_

And so it was. Saito kept his word and would continually send Cobb information on what was happing to his team. Cobb focuses his attention on Arthur, the Point Man of his team. Arthur currently resides New York City. He continues to do extractions, but has sworn first off doing anything like Inception ever again. He works even harder now to collect information about the Mark, hoping that there will never be an incident like the one that happened in the Fischer Job. He even managed to create a team of his own to do the jobs. His success rate has been noticed in the criminal underground. He lies low enough though that he can still hide in plain sight, even in a city like New York. Cobb shakes his head. As a friend, he had hoped that Arthur would leave that life and uses his impeccable organizational skills for something better, but like Cobb long ago, dream sharing is simply too irresistible for Arthur to quit.

Eames was a tough man to look for, but Saito discovered that Eames was now enjoying the fruits of his labor in Fiji. Eames, always the bachelor, seems to be frivolous be spending his well-earned money away on the usual: Cars, women, and gambling. Cobb has no doubt that he will soon turn to Arthur for a job yet again.

Strangely, instead of living the good life, Yusef returned to Mombassa to continue his work on dreams. Rumor has it that he still helps those who desire a life in their dreams. Cobb shudders at the thought. How could someone do that to themselves even if the dream world was better than reality? _"Mal did…" _ Wanting to change the subject, he moved onto Ariadne.

Ariadne returned to Paris, to continue her classes. While she is at the top of her class, he notes that she is constantly disappears from classes for long periods of time. Miles called Cobb one day, saying that she helps Arthur from time to time. Cobb knew this would happen. Building dream worlds is simply irresistible to an architect like her. Apparently, there had been some relationship between Arthur and Ariadne, but nothing more came out of it and they simply remained good friends.

"_Arthur simply cannot settle down, can he?"_ Chuckling, he focused on Cobol Engineering.

Cobb had initially feared that Cobol would pursue him, even after he had made it back to American soil. Mysteriously, Cobol withdrew the bounty on his head. Cobb assumes that Saito had something to do with that.

Cobb thought about their Mark, Fischer. Fischer, since the inception, was now a changed man. Having split up his inheritance, Fischer joined a new, upstart energy company, and was currently planning out on creating a new cleaner energy source. Cobb was glad. He was in no mood to ruin someone's life.

Finally, he did a self-observation. Cobb himself was a changed man as well. He is more laid-back now and relaxed. No more lying, no more stealing, no more inceptions, he was done with that. He now works as an architect and his buildings have been praised by many. He is able to spend time with his children, who love him dearly. He dreams normally now; no more need of the PASIV. He can do what he used to do with Mal long ago: Build.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he looks up to see where he is in the dream city. He is almost reaching his destination.

"_Time to find out what the hell is going on with that building."

* * *

_

NEXT TIME:

THE BUILDING

Cobb investigates the building, only to find someone that he thought was long gone.

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Hope you guys enjoyed this last chapter. It was a big one. Please review and give me opinions on the story, characters, places as always. Later you guys!


	4. The Building

Welcome again, true believers, to another chapter of Inception 2. The hits keep on coming, so I continue onward with this story. I'm feeling good as right now, so my creativeness and ideas have begun to pile up with this story. I apologize for the massive delay. College is keeping me busy, so be patient. Anyways, enough chat. Inception 2 continues now!

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"_Be careful when you go to bed at night, you never know who you'll meet in your dreams.__"-Unnamed_

Chapter 2: The Building

_Present Day…_

_Cobb's Dream_

Cobb stands before the mysterious building before him.

"_What the hell is going on here? This building was not finished when I saw it from a distance."_

It had just been a mere ten minutes ago that he had decided to walk over here, expecting to find an unfinished building for him to investigate. Now, a complete building stands before him.

"_This can't be possible."_

Cobb began to theorize as to how this was happening: Perhaps his subconscious was creating objects without his knowing. It seemed logical. These were 'normal' dreams, of course. Your subconscious usually takes control of your dreams unless you were a lucid dreamer. Cobb was an exception to that rule. His experiences with the PASIV and dream-sharing enabled him to become a lucid dreamer. However, it did not mean that Cobb was in control of the dream all the time. Whenever Cobb would explore his dream-world, he would often find anomalies. Sometimes, he would find a random tree in the middle of an intersection or objects floating in mid-air. Cobb presumes that was his subconscious trying to 'create' the dream.

"_But for my subconscious to create an entire building? It's quite a feat."_

Cobb frowns. Once again, he was underestimating what his subconscious could do. Cobb looks at the building once again.

"_My subconscious must be really digging through my older memories, I don't recognize the architecture."_

Indeed, the building was quite different from any of Cobb's buildings, with the exception of Cobb's purely glass office building. Cobb, having lived in Paris with Mal, was inspired to have the world look similar to the French city. Of course, he tried not to make it exactly like Paris, least he bring up some bad memories with him.

"_This building doesn't even look French." _

The building appeared to be a hotel of some sort. Apparently, it was still closed by way of the darkened lobby entrance. Interestingly, the building had a cylinder shape to it, instead of the normal rectangle shape to most of Cobb's buildings. Most importantly however, was the building's name. It was called Hotel Iset.

"_Iset? That name isn't French."_

Suddenly, Cobb begins to feel like he is being watched. He turns to look at the streets. His projections are walking by him and moving about, but none seem to notice or care about this hotel. He scans the crowds.

"_Nothing."_

Cobb looks back at the hotel. The mere presence of it is now making him uncomfortable.

"_I should just tear it down…," _Something however, compels him to investigate this further. "_But not before I find out what's inside."_

Taking one last look at the street, Cobb enters the hotel.

* * *

_Inside the Iset_

As Cobb adjusts his eyes to the darkened hotel lobby, nothing but silence greets him. Even the sounds of the city cannot be heard.

"_It's quite….really quite."_

At this point, Cobb felt like he was part of some horror movie: A poor victim; just waiting for anything to kill him. Nothing came however and the silence was soon becoming deafening. Suddenly, noises could be heard from the greeting desk. Cobb walks over, curiosity continuing to lead him forward.

"Woah!"

From behind the desk, comes out a man in his early 20's, dressed seemly as one of the workers here. Cobb nearly pulls out his concealed gun in response to the sudden appearance.

"I'm sorry I didn't notice you enter, Mr. Cobb, I was merely attending to connecting the phones here."

Cobb stiffens. The projection spoke his name. With the exception of the man in his office building, none of his projections ever said his name. He had made it that way.

"_Something is not right here."_

Letting it go for the moment, Cobb acknowledges the man. "That's alright. New hotel, huh?"

The man nods, "That is correct, sir. Welcome to the Hotel Iset. I have to apologize for the darkness for now; we seem to be experiencing some electrical difficulties. I'll get someone to fix that. Will you be staying here for the night?"

"_An electrical issue…sounds like bullshit…he's hiding something…"_

Cobb continues to humor the projection.

"Yes, I would like to…"

Suddenly, the hotel phone rings. Cobb looks at the man suspiciously.

"I thought you said there was no electricity."

The man smiles, "I never said the phones were down, Mr. Cobb." Cobb could swear that the man's smile was turning into a smirk.

Cobb begins to feel a nagging sensation that he needs to get the hell out of here and out of this dream. He barely notices the man picking up the phone and talking to someone. The man ends it before Cobb can listen in.

"It appears you are needed by one of our guests here."

Cobb looks at the man in disbelief.

"You already have hotel guests?"

The man continues to wear that uninviting smile. "We have already been established here for a while, Mr. Cobb…" The man leans closer to Cobb and finishes his sentence. "Don't you remember creating this place?"

At this point, Cobb steps back from the desk and the man, trying to get some space. The man will not remove the smile. "She is waiting for you in room 204, level 4. Best not keep her waiting."

"She?"

The man finally gives him a cruel smile.

"Clock's ticking, Mr. Cobb."

Cobb gives the man one last hard look before looking for the stairs that would lead him to his new destination.

* * *

Cobb stands next to the door of room 204. He is hesitant to open the door and find out what lies behind it.

"_The dots aren't connecting: Mysterious buildings, sinister projections, now this unknown guest…Can my subconscious be really doing all of this?"_

Cobb felt cold inside. His dream is becoming a nightmare. He could just wake up; let this dream end here and now. Again, Cobb doesn't. The need to know what is going here continues to drive him forward. With one deep breath, Cobb opens the door. Instantly, he regrets his decision.

Inside, sitting on the bed, is the last person Cobb thought he would see. There, sitting on one of the queen beds, is Mal. No, Mal is dead; it is merely his projection of her, the same projection that taunted him in his dreams for so long. But something is off with this projection. She seems relieved to see him. She smiles at Cobb's entrance.

"Dom, it's been awhile."

"_No….."_ Cobb thinks, shocked. Cobb closes his eyes to make sure this isn't happening. When he reopens them, he is still seeing her.

"_This is not good."_

"You're not supposed to be here, Mal."

Mal's projection tilts her head, a quizzical look appearing on her face. "Where am I supposed to be?"

"Not here…not in my head. You're dead."

Mal merely laughs at his statement.

"Oh, Dom. You're talking about your Architect shooting me?"

Cobb thinks back to when Ariadne shot Mal. He remembers Mal's tears rolling down her eyes as he held her while she 'died' in his arms. He shakes the memory from his head, answering her question.

"Yes."

Mal shakes her head and looks at Cobb. "It takes more than a bullet and forgiving yourself to be rid of me, it seems."

Mal turns away from Cobb, rising from the bed to observe the city that he built for her. "I did disappear, Dom. You were happy, with your children. But I was your wife, Dom. Your most cherished memories were with me. That is a hard thing to let go of. Perhaps, you still can't let me go. Not all of you, but a little part of you that still misses me. That is why you are doing this; building a city in my memory. Your subconscious simply did the rest."

"That doesn't explain why you are here right now." Cobb retorts.

Mal lets out a sigh before returning her look to Cobb. "Do you remember when you fell asleep, Dom?"

Cobb stares at her, bemused at the seemingly random question. "Wh..what?"

"_What is this projection getting at?"_

"Do you remember?" Mal stares at Cobb hard, as if he could give her the answer immediately.

"Y..yes, I can. It was nighttime already. I had just put James and Phillipa to bed. After that, I went to my work office to finish the new project for Barnes…"

That's when it hit him. "And then I found myself here. Just like…,"

",…when you used to use the PASIV." Mal finishes his sentence.

"_Shit…"_Cobb looks at her. "It all makes sense now. This building…it really isn't mine. The man at the greeting desk… he isn't my projection. You; suddenly appearing here to ask me that question…" Cobb reaches a startling conclusion.

"This isn't just my dream. I've been put under." Cobb felt a lump in his throat starting to form. He turns to Mal. "My subconscious sent you here to warn me of this." Mal's voice breaks through his thoughts.

"Dom, listen to me, you need to get out of here…"

Cobb isn't paying attention, "Why would someone do this?"

"It doesn't matter, you need to wake up! You been set u..."

Cobb suddenly hears the sound of a gun being fired. The next few moments is a blur. He sees Mal clutching at her stomach in pain. She staggers before falling limp to the floor; an expression of shock remaining on her features. Blood begins to pool around her body. For a moment, Cobb truly wishes this was some fucked-up nightmare of his that he could wake up from. You're not supposed to be dreaming of your wife's projection being shot again.

Cobb closes his eyes, hoping to awaken and forgot all of this. It doesn't happen.

"I'm terribly sorry I had to end that tender reunion of yours, Mr. Cobb," A voice with an foreign accent speaks from behind Cobb's back.

Cobb turns to see who is in the hallway. It is the hotel greeter, holding a gun in his hand.

"Who are you?"

The man smirks before his face changes. Now he appears as a man who looks Russian, in his late 40's, with brown hair that was beginning to gray. But the feature that Cobb notices the most is his eyes: Dark brown irises that almost made him look like he only had pupils. In those eyes, Cobb could see a darkness that revealed nothing to him. The man spoke again.

"Your new employer. Please come with me, Mr. Cobb, there is much business to be discussed."

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NEXT CHAPTER: THE JOB

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Boy, this chapter was a hard one to work on. Please review. I really need to see what you guys are thinking about this story. Your input is valuable, whether positive or critical.

The hotel in this chapter is actually real. You can take a look at it here. .com/foto/0/7/5/8/075862/05886/075862_a_

Until next chapter, I will see you guys later.


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